The first recorded use of Tolkein stems from 1901. The Blue Book of King Edward's School in Birmingham for January of that year includes in the list of pupils: "[Name.] Tolkein … … [Initials.] J.R.R. [Class.] xi [Date of Birth.] 3.1.92 [Came.] 00/3 [=third quarter of 1900] [then Placed. in class] xi [Parent's Initials.] Mrs. [Address.] 214, Alcester Road [Business.] Independent".[2]

The name Tolkien has often been associated with Jewry. This was in turn because the Jewry of the time had predominantly Yiddish and German names, and the Tolkien family hailed from Saxony, Germany.[4] Since these Yiddish and German names often ended in -stein, it may have been a hypercorrection.